Floating power plant



June 17, 1930. I 1 J. BAKER n 1,764,820

FLoA'rING Powlam PLANT Filed im. 21, 19,27 2 sheets-sheet .'1

June 17, 1930. J. J. BAKER 1,754,820

E LQATING .POWER PLANT I :med Now-21, 1927 `2 sheets-sheet .2

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'Patented June 17, 1930 .UNITESrAr PATENT oFFIcEl,

JosEPHJAMns BAKER, or KoKoMo, Vminimun FLOATING POWER v:PLANT i f Appiieatioaiea November 21, 1927. seriai Naizaessz.

" for developing power which may be utilizer in anydeterminate way for operating machinery to be driven. f

`While the drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be un- `ig derstood that in adapting the means to meet specific needsand requirements, the design Amay be varied and such other changes in the minor details yof construction may be resorted t-o Within the scope of the invention 4as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof. y

Fora full understandingof the invention and the merits thereof, reference Yis to be had to the following Vdescription and draw- :c ing hereto attached, in which Figure 1V is a top plan' view of a current motor `embodying the' invention, an intermediate portion being broken away.

Figure 2 is a side View showing theparts "5U on an enlarged scale, and the forward portion of the deiector being broken away.

Figure 3 is a front view. Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of a power chain and the sup- 'se port therefor.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of the parts illustrated in Figure 4. Y

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional "zie view on the line 6--6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top portion of the supporting frame and a track thereon.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawing by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 denotes a supporting frame which may be of any determinate construcl5o tion best adapted for receiving and sustaining the operating parts. This supporting frame or structureV may be buoyant so as to float in the water in which the motor may be placed. The size of the supporting frame will depend ,largely upon the capacity of the 55 motor, and its general design. The operating mechanism is mounted upon the frame 1 and includes a plurality of endless chains l5 and wheels 3 and 5. Y The respective sets of wheels 3 and 5 are mounted upon shafts 16` 6() disposed at opposite ends of the'frame l,

Y Ysaid wheels "being fast to the shafts to rotate therewith. The supporting wheelsfor the,v drive chains 15 are groovedor channeled in their periphery to form side ianges 17 `whichV 65 are toothed to engage the ends of the outer links of the respective drive chains. The inner links of the drive chains are disposed adjacent the inner faces of the flanges 17, as shown most clearly in Figure 5 of the 70 drawings. Theouter links comprising .theV drive chains are disposed in the plane of the flanges 17 `so that their ends will engage lthe teeth formed `upon theouter edge of the flanges. f v 75 Certain links, as 12, of the drive chains, are Wide yand support transverse rods 18 which serve to connect the drive chains and cause them to travel in unison. Blades 4b are mounted upon the rods 18 and lie hori- 30 zontally upon the top of the structure 1 and hang vertically from the vbottom of the structure to receive the pressure of the Water. with 'each of the drive chainsl 15 and this 35 brace includes members 4 and 4?. The meinbers 4' are at aright angle to the blades 4l and the members 4` connect` the outer ends of the blades 4b and members 4.. These blades turn when passing around the toothed 9.o wheels 3 and 5 and, as stated, lie horizontal at the top and depend vertically` at the bottom, as indicated most clearlyin Figure 2 of the drawings. A track 10 isassociated with each of the drive chains and is located 95 upon the tcp of the frame 1 in position to be engaged by theblades 4b as theypass over the top` of the structure. The track 10,v preferablyr .consists of a metalstrip. A` corresponding track 13 is provided upon the, 100

Each of the blades 4b is braced in line bottom 5 of the frame 1 to which it is attached in any substantial and determinate way. A track .13 is provided for each of the drive chains and comprises similar strips transversely spaced and formed with inwardly disposed flanges which are spaced from the bottomk 5 of thel frame 1, as indicated most clearly in Figure 6 of the drawings.

A bracket 19 projects from each-of the blades .4b and terminates in a bearing in which is 'mounted an axle 2O the ends of which project and receive small .wheels 14C which are adapted to engage the bottom of the groove or channel formed in the drive chain supporting wheels, as indicated most clearly in Figure 5 of the drawings, and the inwardly disposed flanges of the strips comprising the track 13, as shownmost clearly in Figure 6 of the drawings. In this manner the blades 4b are supported as they pass around the wheels 3 and 5 and are suspended as they travel along the bottom side of the frame 1.

A float 2 is provided to receive the frame 1 and may be of any determinate construction and is hollow to accommodate the frame 1 which is connected thereto by latchings 9. Outwardly converged members 2a are located at the front of the float and receivey deflectors 11 upon their outer sides. The members 12a are adapted to occupy a position at the surface of the water to direct drift laterally and prevent its catching upon the blades 4b of the drive mechanism. The deflectors 7 are located along the sides of the ioat 2 and are pivoted to turn about vertical axes. A longitudinal shaft 21 is ldisposed at each side of the float and'is connected to the deflectors 7 by worm gearing andthereby admitting of the series of deflectors 7, at each side of the float, being simultaneously adjusted to direct the current orvllow of water inwardly towards the blades L1b to insure the vdevelopment of a maximum amount of water.

s or other body of water to be operated by rent created by the generators 22 is utilized in any determinateway for operating machinery to be driven. Obviously the electricity may be stored in any usual way for` future use. A pulley 6 fast to each of the i shafts 16is connected to the armature'of the generator, or other part to be driven, in the development of power for use in any determinate way.

The device is suitably located in a stream the current or flow thereof.l When positioned the device Lis moored or anchored in any preferredway so that the end of the float provided with thedriftjdeflectors A2,- s l 1,764,820

11 will face upstream or in the direction of the flow of the current. The water eXpends its force upon the blades 4b of the power chains facing downwardly, thereby compelling the power chains to travel in a counter clock-wise direction. The movement thus imparted to the power chains rotates the shafts 16 and drives the generators 22. The power thus created is utilized in the manner stated for operating any mechanism to be driven, or in any preferred way in the industrial arts.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In a water power plant having blades engaged by the water, the combination with a wheel grooved in its periphery to provide side flanges having their outer edges toothed, of connected chains, one for each of the flanges and comprising inner and outer links, the outer links being in the plane of 'the flanges and coacting with the teeth thereof, and the inner links being disposed to engagethe inner faces of the flanges to prevent lateral movement of the connected chains, the inner links having extensions to which the blades are connected.

2. In a water power plant having blades engaged by the water, the combination with a wheel grooved in its periphery to provide side flanges having their outer edges toothed, of connected chains, one for each of the flanges and comprising inner and outer links, the outer links being in the plane of the flanges and coactin with the teeth thereof, and the inner lin s bein disposed to engage the inner faces of the anges to prevent lateral movement of the connected chains and having extensions to which the blades are connected, brackets carried by the chains, and wheels on the brackets spaced inwardly from the chains and adapted to travel on the grooved periphery of the wheel between the toothed flanges.

' JOSEPH JAMES BAKER. 

